Fresno State Athletics
Ludwig Named Finalist for Broyles Award
12/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 4, 2001
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Fresno State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig has been named a finalist for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the nation's top assistant coach. The winner will be announced Dec. 12 during a banquet at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Ark.
Other finalists include Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator Randy Shannon, Florida wide receivers coach Dwayne Dixon, LSU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimbo Fisher, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Robert "Bud" Foster and Texas defensive coordinator Carl Reese. All six finalists come from teams currently ranked in the Top 25.
The Broyles Award is named in honor of longtime University of Arkansas Athletics Director Frank Broyles, who developed a reputation during a stellar coaching career of producing top-notch assistant coaches. Former Broyles assistants have combined to win almost 20 percent of all Super Bowl titles, five national collegiate championships, more than 40 conference titles and more than 2,000 games. More than 25 Broyles assistant coaches went on to become head coaches at the college or professional level, including Joe Gibbs, Hayden Frye, Johnny Majors, Barry Switzer, Jackie Sherrill, Doug Dickey and Jimmy Johnson.
The Broyles Award is one of the most lucrative awards for college football coaches. The winner receives $5,000 and a 100-pound cast bronze statue worth $5,000. Each finalist receives $1,000 plus a set of Wilson golf clubs and a personalized bag. Finalists and their spouses are flown to Little Rock for the banquet, receiving premium lodging and limousine transportation.
Previous Broyles Award winners are: Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews (1996), Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann (1997), former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe (1998), who was named Ole Miss' head coach shortly before he received his award, former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen (1999), now the head coach at Maryland, and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino (2000).
Previous Broyles Lifetime Achievement Award winners are: Texas A&M assistant Ray Dorr, San Diego State assistant Claude Gilbert, and Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky.
Ludwig has been at the controls of one of the nation's highest-flying offenses. The No. 19 Bulldogs were a Cinderella story early in the season, impressing the college football world with victories over Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin. The Bulldogs rose as high as No. 8 in the top 25 and enjoyed a highly successful year, finishing the regular season 11-2 and earning a bid to the Silicon Valley Football Classic.
In his fourth season at Fresno State, Ludwig produced an offense that averaged 496.92 yards per game, ranking fourth nationally. The Bulldogs also ranked fourth nationally in scoring (41 points a game) and sixth in passing offense (333.5 yards per game).
Quarterback David Carr, a Heisman Trophy candidate and winner of the Johnny Unitas Award, became just the sixth quarterback in NCAA history to pass for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. He leads the nation in total offense with 4,396 yards (4,299 passing yards) and is the WAC offensive player of the year after throwing 42 touchdown passes. Combined with wide receivers Rodney Wright and Bernard Berrian and running back Paris Gaines, Fresno State became the only school in NCAA history to produce a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher.
